Trolley-conductor clamp



N. l. A. WAHLBERG. TROLLEY CONDUCTOR CLAMP.

APPLICATION man MAR. a1, 1920.

1,408,048; Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

INVENTOR WITNESSES? N 4/ "lab/berg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NILS J. A. WAHIJBERG, OF WIL'KINSBURG', PENNSY LVANIAv ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC 6t MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

TROLLEY-CONDUOTOB CLAMP.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Application filed March 31, 1920. Serial No. 370,058.

To all 10/10 121, it may concern.

Be it known that I, NILS J. A. lVAHL- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley-Conductor Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolley-conductor devices and particularly to clamps for supporting trolley conductors.

One object of my invention is to provide a device of the above indicated character that shall be light in weight, that shall occupy and require a relatively small amount of overhead space and that shall permit of its manipulation without the use of tools.

Another object of my invention is to provide a resiliently actuated trolley-conductor clamp that shall greatly facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of a conductor from between its jaws.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a trolley-conductor clamp that shall be rugged and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in op eration.

Heretofore, it has been usual, in trolleyconductor clamps, to secure the clamp-jaw members ri idly to a conductor by means of screws, wedges or other means requiring the use of tools. Such clamps, to the best of my knowledge, have been in the nature of permanently installed devices by which temporary installations receiving the rela tively qulck mounting and dismounting of trolley conductors could not readily be effected.

In practicing my invention, I provide a pair of co-operating trolley conductor gripping jaw members that are so formed and related and so resiliently biased toward each. other as to permit a conductor to be quickly inserted or withdrawn, by hand, from position therebetween.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevational view of a trolley-conductor clamp constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same.

The device comprises a pair of cooperating jaw members 1 and 2, each provided with lower edge portions 3 for insertion in the grooves of a grooved trolley conductor 4. The member 1 is provided, at its upper central portion, with an interiorly threaded hollow boss 5, or other means, for securing the device to a hanger rod (not shown), or other device, for supporting the clamp. Each of the members 1 and 2 has an inner longitudinal portion 6, disposed above the conductor 4,'1":or engagement with the other anda slightlyindented, or longitudinally grooved, outer surface portion 7 for the re ception of the ends of longitudinally split, substantially cylindrical, or ring shaped, spring members 8 disposed on each side of the boss 5 and embracing the upper portions of the members 1 and 2. Upwardly and outwardly extending handle or operating portions 9, at the ends of the members 1 and 2, when pressed together, cause the portions 6 to fulcrum on each other and the members 1 and 2 to separate at their edge portions 3 against the action of the springs 8 to receive and release the conductor 4.

The receiving and releasing operations may be quickly effected without the use of tools, thereby greatly facilitating the mounting and dismounting of a trolley conductor and being of particular advantage where the conductor is for temporary service only and when the position of the conductor is to be frequently changed.

By eliminating screws, wedges and other rigid holding means, the members 1 and 2 may be relatively narrow between their upper and lower edges, thereby effecting a saving in head room, and the device, as a whole, may be economically constructed and be relatively light in weight.

While I have shown and described a par ticular form of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, ,as set'forth in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention:

1; A trolley-conductor clamp comprising co-operating conductor-engaging members and resilient means for holding said members on the conductor.

2. A trolley-conductor clamp comprising a pair of conductor-holding members resiliently biased toward each other to grip a conductor therebetween.

3. A trolley-conductor clamp device having jaw portions resiliently biased toward each other to hold a conductor therebetween.

4;. A'trolley-conductor device comprising a plurality of conduotor-gripping portions resiliently biased to operative positions.

5. A trolley conductor clamp comprising co-operating conductor-engaging portions, resilient means for holding the same against the conductor, and means for separating said portions against the action of said resilient means to admit and release the conductor from its held position.

6. A trolley-conductor clamp comprising co-operating conductor-engaging jaw mem bers and a spring biasing said members to wards each other to clamp a conductor.

7. A trolley-conductor clamp comprising co-operating conductor-engaging jaw members and a split spring of substantially ringshape engaging said members between its ends. j 8. A trolley-conductor clamp comprising co-operating conductor-engaging jaw members and a longitudinally split, substantially cylindrical spring embracing said members at its split portion.

9. A trolley-conductor clam comprising a structure having an inter-me iate supporting portion a pair of conductor-engaging jaw portions and a spring on each side of said supporting portion to bias said jawportions toward each other.

10. A trolley-conductor clamp comprising a conductor-engaging jaw member having an intermediate supporting portion, a cooperating conductor-engaging jaw member therefor and a sprin co-operating with both of said jaw mem ers on each side of said supporting portion to bias said members toward each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day ofMarch,

NILS J. WAHLBERG. 

